Sam Tomkins, English rugby league's wunderkind, has the potential to take this tournament by storm. Photograph: John Clifton/Action Images

In arranging a tough warm-up against the New Zealand Maori, England's coach Steve McNamara, has been honest enough to admit that it could blow up horribly in the face of his Four Nations outsiders.

In the distinctly possible scenario of England struggling, or even being beaten – which would stir unpleasant memories of previous unimpressive tour openers, most infamously Great Britain against the Burleigh Bears before the disastrous 1999 Tri-Nations campaign – then the general pessimism about their prospects will become even harder to counter convincingly. But whatever the result at Auckland's Mount Smart stadium this weekend, McNamara is undoubtedly doing the right thing.

As assistant to Tony Smith for the World Cup in 2008 and last year's Four Nations in the northern hemisphere, McNamara saw England flirt with embarrassment against Papua New Guinea in Townsville, and France at Doncaster, having been either unable or unwilling to find a proper preparatory match. They just about got away with it on each occasion. But as McNamara said before the squad flew to Auckland last Friday, the crazily unsympathetic Four Nations schedule does not allow for a slow start this time.

England open the tournament against the full New Zealand team – who enter the Four Nations looking at least as strong as Australia – in Wellington on Saturday week. "We couldn't afford to go straight across there and jump straight into New Zealand," said McNamara. "They're going to be very strong. So even if we take a couple of injuries in the Maori game, the benefits will far outweigh that. It will be vital for a lot of our players to get some game time, and to work on our combinations. We've entered competitions in the last couple of years, against France and Papua New Guinea, and not performed. We've learned from that experience."

The Maori will field a strong-sounding side in which Timana Tahu, Clinton Toopi, Jeremy Smith, Weller Hauraki and the classy Castleford stand-off Rangi Chase are the most familiar names, but the other dozen will undoubtedly contain plenty of unpleasant surprises, given their considerable experience at the cutting edge of the National Rugby League. Kevin Proctor looked terrific in Melbourne's World Club Challenge win against Leeds the February before last, the Warriors hooker Aaron Heremaia has clearly come on a bit since he left Leigh, and the young forwards Lewis Brown and Sam McKendry will be eager to impress Stephen Kearney, who has released them from New Zealand's Four Nations squad to have an early crack at the Poms.

In contrast England have been in Auckland less than a week, the majority of the squad haven't played for the best part of a month, and they'll have the usual problem of either reviving or developing combinations with players who have been rivals for the Super League season. So that's got the excuses in first – and, more importantly, a plea not to overreact if England are behind at half-time and fail to convince even after that. Having said all that, there should be enough quality to avoid serious embarrassment – and maybe even to impress.

It is possible to argue that England have more genuinely world-class talent in this squad – a slightly woolly description which roughly translates as players who could make enough of an impact in the NRL to challenge for a State of Origin place – than any other for a decade or more.

Sam Burgess and Gareth Ellis, the two Yorkshiremen who have taken up the challenge of subjecting themselves to the game's ultimate test in Sydney, have already proved that with South Sydney and the Wests Tigers respectively. James Graham did the same in eclipsing them both as England's best forward in last year's Four Nations, and if he looked understandably and worryingly knackered in the latter stages of the Super League season after carrying the St Helens pack yet again – culminating in his unappealing verbal outburst against the Grand Final referee Richard Silverwood – then the chance to secure a move to the NRL in 2012 will hopefully see him back to his best.

James Roby has somehow managed to maintain his standards throughout an equally exhausting year, and he is another who will surely attract more interest from NRL scouts, even if the absence of Kevin Sinfield leaves England with a lack of craft to complement his speed and strength around the rucks. Adrian Morley will be the usual reassuring presence in the front-row, and England will finally have Sean O'Loughlin's combination of skill and steel at loose forward – it is no accident that in four of his last five appearances against either Australia or New Zealand in 2006-07, Great Britain won well.

Lastly, and most excitingly for England dreamers and southern hemisphere audiences, there is Sam Tomkins, the Wigan wunderkind who has the potential to take this series by storm.

There is undeniably a lack of experience or fire-power in the rest of the backline, but Tom Briscoe is seriously underrated, and Michael Shenton's performances in last year's Four Nations suggest he will at least be solid. Nor will he have to tackle Greg Inglis, and the absence of both GI and Johnathan Thurston from the Australia back-line has to be another reason for English optimism ahead of the trip to Melbourne in a fortnight, for all the formidable depth of the NRL.

With New Zealand facing Samoa in another mouthwatering warm-up match in the second half of this weekend's double-header in Auckland, there is enough to get all manner of juices flowing, even from this distance. Hopefully England can avoid a slip on the Maori banana skin, and head south for Wellington's Cake Tin next weekend in good shape to contribute to another celebration of international rugby league.